


Chimes at Midnight

by Prochytes



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gen, Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-10 06:06:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19901035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prochytes/pseuds/Prochytes
Summary: Selina finds Tabitha locked in combat with an old enemy. The reason for what is going on is very Gotham.





	Chimes at Midnight

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers to 4x01: “Pax Penguina”. Swearing.

A burglar reads the creak of footfalls behind a door like another kid would read the funny pages. The pattern Selina heard as she mounted the stairs – two pairs of twinkle toes, both light and nimble, too urgent for a meet, too freeform for a dance – warned her that she would be walking in on a rumble. She dropped the groceries and crept into the apartment.

Aside from the beat of feet, there was little noise in the room beyond. Selina hadn’t expected any. The “Gotham whoop” was a hallmark of street-fighting in this town; Tabitha, who wasn’t local, disapproved, and hadn’t had much trouble training Selina out of it. Only amateurs gave themselves a backing track.

No vocals, then, apart from the gasps that accompanied holds sought, established, broken; the grunts that punctuated the body-shots. The bulbs in the apartment were as lousy as everything else about it; the shadows tricked your eyes. For a moment, Selina looked at the two women who duelled in the centre of the room – high pony-tails, high cheekbones, black leather on brown skin on knotted muscle - and thought that Tabitha was locked in combat with herself. These days, that wouldn’t be a stretch.

A shrewd front kick from Tabitha pushed her opponent back into a patch of better light. Selina’s pulse stalled as she saw the intruder’s face. Gotham – the nightmare deli, never knowingly undersold.

“Well,” the intruder smiled at Selina, “isn’t that a wrinkle?”

“Leave the kid be, Copperhead.” Tabitha had swiftly interposed herself between her opponent and Selina. “She’s not a part of this.”

“Understood. But you should clue Ms. Kyle in – she’s looking feisty.” The woman from Wayne Manor – Copperhead? – stretched languidly, and stepped back towards the kitchen. “I’ll give you five.”

Tabitha nodded. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure. Ms. Galavan?”

“Yes?”

“Remember the rules.”

***

“We need to talk,” said Tabitha.

“We _need_ to kick her ass.”

“Selina…”

“That bitch tried to kill me once.”

“I know.” Tabitha rubbed her elbow. “Why aren’t you at the Flea? I thought that you were staying there tonight.”

“The job Slim planned to deal us in for was a bust. Trident Shipping changed their guard rotation.” Selina peered over Tabitha’s shoulder, and lowered her voice. “What’s going down here? I thought that this… Copperhead was a hit-woman.”

“She is. The hit’s on me.”

“And so back to the chorus: we need to kick her ass.”

“No. This is a fight by – what would you call it? – Narrows rules. I stick to those, no one else gets hurt. Her and me, unarmed, one on one. The better fighter gets to walk away.”

“That’s crazy.”

“That’s how it is.” Tabitha flexed a hand, and winced. “You should go.”

“Not happening. I’m gonna stay and eat popcorn while you own this bitch.”

Tabitha bit her lip. Selina took in, for the first time, the bruises on her friend’s face, the hollowness of her gaze, the infinitesimal tremble and waver of her thighs. She understood.

“You don’t think you’re going to win this.”

“Anything can happen in a fight, kid. I’m sure as hell not going down easy. But you shouldn’t have to watch me die.”

Selina’s lips thinned. “Five minutes aren’t up. Let me see the snake.”

“That's not a good…”

“I’m not going to try to sucker punch her. Just talk. What harm can that do?”

Tabitha sighed, but Selina could see she was too spent to argue. “OK. Remember: she has insurance.”

***

Copperhead was feigning interest in the contents of the kitchen, or perhaps not feigning. Maybe cereal choices genuinely rocked her world. Assassins (Selina thought of Zsasz) could be odd people.

“Ms. Kyle,” she said, lifting her eyes from contemplation of the Wheaties, “you look well.”

“Back atchya,” said Selina. She saw, with a sinking heart, that it was true. Copperhead, at closer quarters, looked mussed and beaten up – more so than Alfred and Jim Gordon had managed between them – but there was no echo of Tabitha’s exhaustion. “You still on the clock for killing me?”

The assassin shook her head. “All the contracts I accept have an expiration clause, with full refund. It keeps my schedule clean.”

“You must miss the Court of Owls.”

“I never roll on clients. But some are quicker about invoices than others.”

“How much to call off the hit?”

“You aren’t women of means, Ms. Kyle.” Copperhead’s gaze travelled around the dingy room. “Not any more.”

“Then I’ll steal anything you want. You know I could.”

“Nice try. I don’t renege on deals. Tabitha Galavan dies in unarmed single combat, October 6.” Copperhead arched her supple neck. Selina wondered whether the body language had led to her name or whether she consciously played up to it. What was it with people and these lame animal themes? It wasn’t as though Tabitha had stripes. “Your loyalty does you credit. It’s surprising.”

“What do you mean?”

“I like the Tigress. It’s so rare to find a worthy foe. But she’s a monster no less than me: a murderer of old women, _gratis_. What about her explains this loyalty from you?”

Selina held the killer’s gaze. She thought of saying that it was because Tabitha, unlike almost anyone else Selina had ever known, was saner for having spent more time in Gotham; that the descent of her brother in tiny pieces on Alfred’s roses had changed her; that, these days, she (largely, mostly) wasted folks for being in her way, rather than in her zip code, which, in this town, was one small step from sainthood. But that wouldn’t be true, or not true enough to tip the scales.

“She’s my friend.”

“I can respect that. But it won’t stop me.” Copperhead smiled. “Now you’re wondering whether you could take me. Or whether you and Ms. Galavan could. Or whether – even – you could take Ms. Galavan and me.”

“I wouldn’t ever consider that,” said Selina, wishing it were true.

“You wouldn’t be a daughter of this sick sweet town if you hadn’t, just for a moment. Taking out Copperhead and the Tigress in one hit; no one need ever know they were already weakened from whaling on each other.” Copperhead’s smile widened. “Hell of a way to build a rep. I’ll spare you the quandary. If you kill me, you’ll have to do it quickly. Otherwise, I’ll just set off the charges.”

“What charges?”

“The ones I’ve laid around this building, as insurance.”

Selina swallowed. “What’s to stop you setting them off if Tabitha beats you fair and square?”

“I’m a woman of my word, Ms. Kyle. And I don’t lose. Five minutes are up.” Copperhead sashayed forward. “Seconds out.”

Selina’s shoulders slumped as she stepped aside.

***

Selina had always had Tabitha pegged as more a sprinter than a stayer. Her training was all about going in fast and hard; about ending the fight before fatigue had a chance to take its toll. Selina was rethinking that assessment, now. Jesus God, the woman could endure.

In the end, though, Tabitha’s weary body betrayed her. A knee gave, just for a moment, as she tried a kick. Copperhead darted with groggy but still serviceable speed at the opening in her defences. Both women went to the floor; Selina knew, with sickening certainty, that the fight was done. Snakes choked; and the Tigress had nothing left.

This was so fucking _Gotham_ , that was the thing. One of the best fighters on the planet was killing another on the carpet-less floor of a room that looked like crap. Selina tore her gaze to the surroundings, so she didn’t have to watch Tabitha strain and falter. The punch-drunk sofa; the cranky radio; the clock.

The clock…

“COPPERHEAD!” Selina’s voice was harsh in her own ears.

“Rather… busy right now, Ms. Kyle,” said Copperhead. Tabitha’s struggles were beginning to look more like throes. “I’ll be free in half a minute.”

“You don’t have half a minute. Listen.”

Selina paused, praying that the clock was right and that her town would indulge its usual taste for the dramatic. To her unutterable relief, she heard, in a few more seconds, the Clocktower bell.

“Midnight. You took too long. All your contracts have an expiration, don’t they? ‘Tabitha Galavan dies in unarmed single combat, October 6.’” Selina exhaled and hoped to Hell - the usual forwarding address for Gotham prayers. “It’s October 7.”

“Hmmm. One could quibble about work-days, no doubt.” Copperhead released her grip; moved one leg in a leisurely arc over Tabitha’s torso; and stood. “But I’m not low enough to be a lawyer, and I like your moxie.”   
  
She held out a palm. Tabitha blinked blearily at the hand for a moment, before accepting it to be hoisted to her feet.   
  
“Congratulations, Ms. Galavan. You went the distance. This is the first time two people who could say that,” Copperhead inclined her head in Selina’s direction, “have shared a room.”

Tabitha nodded. Her shuddering breaths rasped loud in the quiet chamber.

“I’ll leave the detonator by the front door,” Copperhead continued. “The charges will still be viable. Consider them a gift; that was quite the work-out. Let’s do it again some time.”

Tabitha raised her chin. “Count on it.”

“It was good to see you once more, Ms. Kyle.”

“Go to Hell,” said Selina.

“Only if someone puts a hit on Satan. Farewell.”

“I’d almost convinced myself,” said Selina, as they heard the front door open and shut below, “that she was bluffing about the charges.”

“That’s the thing about assassins,” said Tabitha. “They don’t bluff. I’m gonna pass out now, so try to catch me.”

***

“A bruise _here_ ,” Tabitha pointed, “stings like a bitch, but won’t compromise your mobility; just bull through it. Multiple shots _here_ will hammer your solar plexus. Then you’re in trouble.”

Selina scowled as she applied the ice-pack. “Is now really the time for a tutorial?”

“Might as well find a teachable moment in getting my ass kicked.” Tabitha looked away. “You need to learn these lessons, kid, since I’m not up to the job of keeping you safe. And with someone gunning for me…”

“Jesus, Tabitha.” Selina dropped the ice. “If you could stand right now, I’d deck you.”

“Huh?”

“I find Copperhead and you duking it out in our apartment, but the door hasn’t been forced or jimmied. It’s late, at home, but you’re in your fighting togs. You thought I wouldn’t be coming back tonight. The whole thing’s set up like a crazy duel. And you’re only _now_ talking about who sent her. I don’t have to be the world’s greatest detective to know who hired Copperhead. You did.”

“Selina…”

“How could you afford her? I’m guessing Copperhead’s high-end.”

“There was a discount.” Tabitha sighed. “She liked the challenge.”

“What the hell were you thinking?”

Tabitha’s voice was quiet. “I had to know.”

“Know what?”

“Whether I was woman enough to handle the worst that anyone could throw at you.” Tabitha’s mouth twisted. “Turns out I’m not, which isn’t a surprise. Theo, Butch… You’re aware of my track record in protecting the people I care about.”

“Butch played the hand he was dealt, like all of us. And your brother…” Selina thought again about Alfred’s roses “… your brother didn’t make things easy on himself. You don’t have to worry about me, Tabitha. In case you haven’t noticed, _I_ saved _your_ ass from Copperhead.”

“Yes – you did.” Tabitha smiled ruefully. “You’ll be scarier than I ever was, Selina Kyle.”

“‘Will be’?” said Selina. “I already am.”

FINIS

**Author's Note:**

> Tabitha's line about assassins and bluffs is adapted from a episode of _Leverage_.


End file.
